1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for creating web applications. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for creating web applications including web pages using a modular and customizable framework.
2. Background and Relevant Art
The proliferation of local area networks and wide area networks has facilitated the retrieval and delivery of data. Commonly, a computer user can retrieve information through a simple point and click interface such as those commonly existing on web pages and web sites. A web portal is a common type of web site or web page that offers a variety of services to a user. Web portals may contain welcome information, search capabilities, weather information, news information, stock data, links to other sites or pages, and the like.
Experience has shown that organized and visually appealing web portals are more effective in meeting the needs of the users of the web portals. Further, because a web portal is often the first page used in an Internet or intranet session, the web portal should be customizable such that the web portal presents content that is of interest to the user and such that the user can organize the content in a manner that makes logical sense to the user or is visually pleasing to the user.
Many web developers have attempted to create sites or web portals that both attract and retain users. A common approach is to have a site conform to a modular layout such that related content is placed in certain areas of the page. Web portals are not the only pages that can benefit from a layout that is modular and customizable. Web sites or pages in general on the Internet or on an intranet, project pages, meeting pages, inventory tracking pages, etc., can also benefit from such a layout.
The design and development of such pages or sites is difficult because few tools exist for quickly and efficiently creating such pages. Each web page developer must create their own code or design for such pages. As a result, developers are discouraged from creating such pages, resulting in the proliferation of less usable and less readable pages. Further, when such pages are created by page developers, the pages are not exportable for use by other developers. It is also difficult to create a customizable site that has a consistent look and feel using current technology.
One technology that has assisted web developers in creating web pages and websites is the use of scripts that are run on a web page server. These scripts can be embedded among other HTML commands to create web pages that are dynamic and customizable. The customizability of web pages, however, currently comes at a high cost because these types of web pages require significant development investment. In other words, successful web sites with rich content, modularized and consistent design, and customizability are difficult to build because they require substantial development time and because portal solutions do not currently have a consistent model.